Beautiful Word Devotional #302

“Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Mark 11:24

Jesus told this amazing truth to his disciples, encouraging them to have a solid belief in his ability to answer prayer. So what is going on when we pray for something for years without seeing an answer? Is this verse not true? Or is our faith not strong enough?

To understand not-yet-answered prayer, it’s important to look at the whole counsel of Scripture. For instance, in the Lord’s Prayer, we read that we are to pray for God’s kingdom to come on earth, for our King’s will to be done on earth just as it is done in heaven.

This kind of praying is different from giving Jesus a laundry list of wants. Instead, we share our hearts, but we defer to his will. We also ask him to work in our hearts so that our prayers come to reflect his desires.

Remember, too, that God answers prayers with “no” and “wait” as well as the “yes” we hope for.

Lord, I know you may not answer my prayer my way. Even so, help me to have patience and faith in your good and loving ways, amen.